Business Strategy: OKC selected for two LA28 Olympic events

Listen to this article

Oklahoma City is officially the site for two sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games: Whitewater Canoe Slalom at RIVERSPORT OKC and Softball at Devon Park July 14-30, 2028.

OKC residents have eagerly awaited the news of this decision since last summer, after the 2024 Paris Games, when the LA28 organizing committee shared they had chosen Oklahoma City as the site for these competitions. Our city’s selection was made official last month when the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the venues.

Since opening in 2016, RIVERSPORT’s Olympic-caliber race course has made a name for itself as a world-class venue for rowing, kayaking, whitewater and other water sports. RIVERSPORT’s Olympic-caliber race course has hosted the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for both whitewater canoe slalom in 2016 and 2024, and kayak cross in 2024. The Whitewater facility is a MAPS 3 project and is owned by the City of Oklahoma City, RIVERSPORT and City officials are planning to continue making improvements and modifications to the whitewater course before 2028.

Devon Park, home to the USA Softball headquarters and the Softball Hall of Fame and owned by the City of Oklahoma City, underwent major improvements to the dugouts, media spaces, and expanded seating (9000 permanent seats) to accommodate annually hosting the NCAA Women‘s College World Series (WCWS). Work was completed in 2020 with funding from the 2017 GO Bond. With four fields and several other amenities, the complex is the largest softball-specific complex in the world and equipped to host world-class competitions and tournaments like the Olympics. The complex annually attracts over 190,000 softball fans to OKC and drives an economic impact of over $40 million. We can expect that these investments and economic impact will dramatically surge with the LA28 games.

The LA28 Olympics in Oklahoma City will bring an influx of tourism, hospitality, entertainment, retail, and media beyond the 17 days of the actual games. These events will drive long-term investment in OKC’s infrastructure and tourism industry, while significantly supporting OKC’s reputation as a world-renowned event destination.

In the meantime, Oklahoma City and the Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce will be preparing for this exciting venture by finalizing the city government’s and community’s commitments including the local host agreements, exploring collaborations with the state and federal government, organizing a volunteer program (up to 5,000 volunteers are expected), assessing permanent and temporary infrastructure needs (such as transportation, public safety, or accommodations), and coordinating with LA28.

Kenton Tsoodle is the president of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.